4th January, 2016
Taiwo Adelu
The press conference came as an anti-climax: the story of the dismissal of Rafa Benitez, the seven month old coach of Real Madrid had seized the media world since evening, along with the information that Zinedine Zidane will take over in the interim.
The report was attributed to Spanish Sports daily Marca, an authority in a matter like this.
But being awaited by the cautious media was the official confirmation by Club President Florentino Perez.
It came at the press conference at the Calle Padre Damián at Santiago Bernabéu at 7.30 CET, with Florentino announcing the decision of the Club’s directors to part ways with Benitez.
Zinedine Zidane will now take charge of the team, where he played for long years.
Zidane, now coach of the B team, won La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles as a player with Real Madrid.
Real are third in the standings, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, after suffering three league defeats this season, including a 4-0 home loss to arch-rivals Barcelona.
The club were also booted out of Copa del Rey after Benitez committed the error of fielding an unqualified Russian player, Denis Cheryshev.
Benitez, the former Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli manager, replaced Italian Carlo Ancelotti in June.
Real have been European champions 10 times and are the most valuable club in the world according to Forbes magazine.